Typewriting machine



Patented Aug. 14, 1928.

UNITED STATES P 1,680,526 ATENT-ol-F ICE.

ADOLP'H G. KUPETZ, OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO` UNDERWOOD `ELIlllO'FL FISHER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAYVARE.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

Application led July 15, 1924. Serial No. 726,075.

This invention relates to improvements in spaceskipping mechanisnr for u se 'on typewriting machines, and more particularly has :tor its object the yprovision of simple, eilicient and inexpensive mechanism designed and constructed to impart to the paper-carriage of the machine intermittently a predetermined number of skipping'intervals during its traverse across the machine.

There is a certann type of typewriting machines, especially the Underwood make, the design and construction of which is such that its parts may be assembled in a manner suitable to make the machine serviceable in connection with certain typewriter work niet with in the ofiice routine of telephone companies. lVith such companies it is customary to type telephone bills in such a way that the company charge has to be typed successively in a separably designated column of the bill, and alongside this particularly mentioned column is another column upon which is to be typed the United States tax, and there may be still another column opposite the last column, for receiving the inscriptions of a code symbol, and so on. Henceany inscriptions which are to be entered in these successive columns are found to be spaced rectilineally in the same columns, whichnieans that it becomes desirablein the interest of saving time and enhancing the eiiicient action of the typewriting machine to make the paper-carriage of the typewriting machine skip or slip over thc .intervals betiifcen the points Where these respective inscriptions are to be typed. The present invention accomplishes this result automatically and efficiently at the predetermined points where these inscriptions occur and between which the mentioned spaces intervene.

In carrying out the above object the present invention aims to` promote accuracy and speed in typing the mentioned inscriptions in the mentioned columns on a telephone bill, while the bill is properly held in the papercarriage during the continuous movement ot the latter across the machine. Mechanism provided which will cause the carriage to automatically jump forward two extra letterspaces to the tax column of the telephone hill and then to jump again two extra letter-spaces to the code column of the same bill Without any special attention on the part of the operator of the machine. A further object of this invention is to so shape the mechanism for carrying out the above results and to so position and arrange the same upon a conventional typewriting machine that it will not be necessary to alter the neighboring parts of the machine Where the paper-carriage travels, so as not to unnecessarily complicate the working `parts of the machine or cause any change in the usual method of operation or functioning of the neighboring part-s.` This invention is provided in the formV of a simple attachf ment` to the carriage, and performs its oiiice during the movement of the carriage rectilineally, while all the neighboring parts, co-operating withfthe carriage to impart a step-by-step movement thereto, continue to perform their duties in a conventional manner. i.

In. all the prior forms of telephone-tax machines where a mutilation of the teeth of the carriage-toedrack is employed, the automatic skipping movement of the carriage over a toothless section ofthe rack is arrested by the first tooth at the advancing end of said section striking a single tooth of the stationary carriage-escapement pinion, and requires a second letter-space movement before the teeth of the rack have reassumed their full-toothed engagement With the teeth of the pinion. In thus transferring the forceof the impact, due to the free movement of thepoWer-driven carriage to a single-tooth engagement between the rack and the pinion, the impact may, after excessive 'weaig result in mutilation of the teeth.

A feature of the present invention provides that a mutilated or toot-hiess section of the carriage-feed-rack may be partially filled by a toothed insert in the `form of a shuttlelike member, which is arranged to reciprocate within t-he rack-gap, for a predetermind distance, equal to the extent of the carriage-skip; and the -teeth thereon are in longitudinal alignment with the rackteeth, so that when the last rack-tooth that is in advance of the toothless section passes from the restraint of the pinion, the pinion shall have assumed a full-toothed engagement with the toothed insert. While thus the insert is held stationary, through this full-toothed engagement therewith, the typewriter-carriage escapes and moves to lli the limit of the gap, the advancing wall of said gap striking the adjoining end face of the pinion-restrained insert. The carriage movement is thus arrested preferably with at least two-rack teeth in engagement with the escapement-pinion.` Thus, at all stages of its movement, either through single letterspace distances o1' through llonger columnskipping areas, the escapement-pinion has a positive full-toothed engagement with the associated rack-teeth elements; and the colunm-skipping movement takes place without. disturbing the normal toothed planes of either rack or pinion.

Othen'features and advantages will hereinafter. appear.

ln. the accompanying. drawings,

Figure l isa sectional side elevation of the part of the machine to which this invention .s attached.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary front elevation ot the parts of the machine to which this invent-ion isattached.

Figure 3k is a fragmental front elevation of' vthe rack carrying the present invention.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, showing. the present invention in qualified position.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a frag- .nental portion of the rack showing adjacent parts projected relatively thereto.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4, showing a modification.

Figure is a top plan view of Figure 6.

liigure 8 is a front fragmental elevation of another modified form of this invention.

Figure 9` is a view similar to Figure 8, showing the qualified position of the present invention.

Figure 10 is a top plan view of Figure 8.

The present invention is designed to be mounted operatively upon a paper-carriage, and it will be convenient to first describe the neighboring parts which are associated in movement with the paper-carriage. l0 designates the type carried by type-bars 11 positioned to move forward so as to impinge upon the usual revoluble platen 12 mounted upon a platen-axle 13 having its bearings in a platen-frame 14. 15 designates the trxweling carriage which travels along a front rail (not shown) and also is slidably guided onY a rear rail 1G mounted in position upon the main frame 17. This carriage 15 is urged in letter-feed direction by the usual spring drum 18 which is connected to the carriage operatively by means ot the usual strap or band 19.

The usual escapement or ratchet mechanism, usually found on the typewriting machines. is illustrated, and includes a rack which moves in unison with and is operatively connected to the carriage 15, so that both the carriage and rack will travel inv a rectilineal direction across the machine.

The rack is carried by a swinging frame 2l and it is held permanently, during the entire traverse of the carriage, in operative alignment with the pinion 22, fixed upon a shaft 2:2, upon,wl1ich is also secured tast the escapement-wheel 2st, the usual pawl :'23 engaging the pinion 22, so that the pinion acts through the pawl 23 to drive the escapement-wheel 24; rotatively. The action of the escapement-wheel 2a is controlled tooth by tooth by means of the relatively fast and loose dogs designated 25 and 2U, respectively, and functioning in a manner well known in the art lo release the teeth of the ratchet-wheel successively, and to hold each tooth against retrograde movement.

27 designates a universal bar. 28 designates a retractable spring which is secured to the loose dog 26 and holds the same in relcasable engagement with the teeth of the escapement-wheel 24 in a manner well known to those skilled in the art.

The present invention may be manufactured in various ways, but the underlying principle of construction and manner ol' operation is identical. One of the preferred forms of this invention consists in milling out, or otherwise cutting away, the rack L'U. which has its teeth 325 interrupted by means oi this operation, so as to forni a housing 2S) having a shoulder 30, and also to form as a continuation of this housing a recess 3l having a shoulder SOR The side wall of the housing and recess is formed with au elongated slot 32. An insert or shank 2H is provided which snugly fits the housing 29, so as to abut the shoulder 30 at its inner end. At its outer end the shank 34 is )referably formed integrally with a dog 35 iaving a number of teeth which are positioned in the same plane, and preferably'in alignment with the teeth 33 of' the rack Q0. Pins 3G are secured to the shank 34- and project operably through the slot 32, so as to be guided therein. A retractable spring 37 secured at one end` to a stud 38 which is fixed upon the rack 20, while the opposite end of the spring 37 is secured operably to the follower or shank 34, the spring serving to hold the shank normally in the position shown in Figures 2 and 3, wherein it will he seen that the outer edge of the shank is spaced away from the adjacent shoulder 30 formed in the plane of the recess 31, so that the teeth 33 formed in a plane with this shoulder 30 are also spaced away from the teeth formed upon the dog It will be understood that this arrangement and mounting of' the shank 34 upon thev rack 20 may be repeated at various points alongl the length of the rack where it may be desirable to cause predctern'iined skips on the part of the paper-carriage to occur with respect to the point of printing `engagement of each type-bar 1l with the platen. In this event the teeth formed upon the shank 34 will represent the spaces between the digits or inscriptions which are typed upon a telephone bill in the various Columns arranged to receive the same.

A, modification `of the construction shown inFigure 4 is illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 wherein the rack 20, having the usual rackteeth 33, is recessed out at 29, the recess being of uniform width and depth throughout its length, and arranged in this recess is a dog 34, which, in this instance, is formed with an elongated slot 40, the pins 3G being secured upon the rack, so as to project through this slot 40 and serve to guide the rack 20 relatively to the dog 34. The dog 34 is formed throughout its entire length and under edge with a plurality of teeth 35u meshing with the pinion 22, while the retractible spring 37 is secured .at one end to the stud 38 fixed upon the rack 20, the end of this spring being secured'to the lug 39 carried by the dog 34, this spring also holding the dog normally against the inner wall of the recess 29, so that the outer edge of this dog will be spaced away from the adjacent shoulder 30 of therack 20.

Still another form or modification of the present invention is illustrated in Figures 8 and 9. In this instance the rack 20 is cut away to provide a recess having oppositelyinclined edges 48 and 49, respectively, being flanked at one side by the outwardly-extending web 41, the recess itself opening out at the other side of the rack 20, so that there may be placed and positioned therein the dog or click 43 which is in the form of a lever fulcrumed upon the pin 42 which is secured upon the web 41. The dog 43 is held normally against and in contact with the inclined edge 49 of the recess preferably by means of a leaf or Sear spring`44 engaging one edge of the dog 43 with its terminal 45 embodied in this dog. The spring 44 is also preferably coiled around the fulcrum end of the dog 43, and extends downwardly so that its stem 46 may be operably and lixedly secured at 47 in the rack 20. This dog 43 is formed with teeth 50 adapted to be in longitudinal alignment with the teeth 33 of the rack 20. Normally the spring 44 holds the dog 43 diagonally of the longitudinal aXis of the rack 20, so that the outer longitudinal edge of this dog 43, also inclining diagonally, is spaced away from the inclined edge 48 of the recess.

In operation, with the invention secured in the position indicated and suitably housed upon the rack 20, it will be possible, by such means, to cause the paper-carriageor letterfeeding carriage of the typewriting machine to skip automatically between predetermined neighboring points along the carriage travel depending upon the positions 'on the telephone charge sheet where the digits are to be typed in spaced apart relation rectilineally in the several columns thereof. In typing telephone bills, as already intimated, the company charge, the United States taz; and

the code symbol are to be printed in different' columns on the sheet, and the points where they are to be printed must be brought up to the printing point where the type-bars make impressions upon the sheet. Ordinarily by skipping two teeth and moving the carriage a distance equal to these teeth, the carriage can be made to traverse from the proper point in one column where the last digit has been typed to the point in the next adjacent column where the first digit of a new number is to be typed in this particular column, and so on in moving vthe carriage to the next predetermined position for typing a digit in the next adjacent column.

What takes place during the performance of the last-named function so far as the parts of this present invention are concerned, is as follows :MAS the operator is depressing the keys of the machine incidental to a typing action, the spring-drum 18 is set in action for moving and urging the carriage 15 rectilineally, so that the rack 20 also moves rectilineally with the carriage, with the teeth 33 held in meshing engagement with the teeth of the pinion 22, so that the rack and pinion are held in driving-anddriven engagement, the pinion being driven in step-by-step fashion, owing to the pawland-ratchet mechanism forming part of the usual escapement device on the machine.

The retractable `spring 28 is stout enough to exert just so much tensionupon the loose dog 26 as will be effective to allow the ratchet or escapement wheel 24. to slip thereover,

step by step, or tooth by tooth, so that the step-by-step'movement of the rack and carriage takes place against the tension of the spring 28, and the pinion 22 is active continuously as long as the teeth proper 33 of the rack 20 are engaged by it, but immediately as the teeth of the dog 33 come into en-y gagement so as to Contact with any of the teeth of the pinion 22 forming part of the escapement mechanism, the tension of the spring 28 is no longer overcome by the rack 20 during the letter-feed movement of the cariage 15, with the result that the carriag is about to slip at this predetermined point. Y t will be seen that the last digit has been typed in the company charge column in the telephone bill or sheet after the latter has been placed properly behind the paper-shelf and against the platen, and that the carriage i now has to skip over the distance equal to as many teeth on the rack as will measure the distance apart between this digit and the point where the next digit is to be typed in the United States tax column of the same telephone bill, the parts are now in the posi-y Eau l rection.

tion shown in Figure 3 with the rack moving in the direction shown and indicated by the arrow 'from left to right in this given instance, the carriage moving in the same di- It will be seen that the tooth X among the rack teeth 38 is inV mesh with a tooth on the pinion 22; at this time, when a type l is swung upwardly for printing the last digit in the company charge column, the loose dog QG is rocked out ot engagement with the escapement-wheel tooth 41 and is drawn to the lett by the spring 28, and then the fixed dog is rocked out of engagement with the adjacent tooth 4l to prevent the rotation of the escapement-wheel 2- and to cause a temporary lull of the paper-carriage l5 until the next key struck. (in the return stroke of the type the dog is rocked out ot engagement with the tooth 4l and the dog 2G is rocked into the path of the wheel tooth 421, while the other dog meets the tooth 42 of the wheel. The escapement-nf'heel 24 is now tree to advance the distance ot one tooth, and as the racl; Q() meshes with the pinion 22 and .is urged in letter-toed direction by the springdrum 18, the carriage l5 is caused to ad- Vance, which causes the rotation of' the eseapement-wheel Q4, which movement causes the dog QG to move to initial position against the tension ot spring 28. It is understood that the escapement-wheel 24 is limited in extent of movement by engagement of the tast and loose dogs and Q6, respectively.

During the action just explained and while the rack 2O is still moving incidentally to depressing the keys of the machine, the tooth Y formed on the shank 34 is moving forwardly as the tooth X is moving beyond and out ot mesh with the pinion 22. Now. upon the engagement of this tooth Y with the pinion (see Figure 3), the rack is unable to Overcome the tension of the spring 2S, this time, in order to turn the pinion 2Q and scapement-wheel 24, and so to continue the step-by-step movement of the rack with respect to the pinion; because as they rack continues to move, urged on by the springdrum 18, with the carriage moving concur rently, the rack slides rectilineally of the shank 34, which latter is held stationary by the pinion 22, this sliding, slipping or skipping movement ot the rack replacing and eliminating the step-by-step movement of the carriage, and this relative sliding Inovement ot the rack 20 also continuing until the edge of the slot 32 engages the outer edge of the shank 34. As the rack slides, the

slotted portion 32 thereof is guided upon the fill pins 3G, against the tension of the relatively lighter spring 37, so that immediately when the edge 30 ot' the rack engages the outer edge of the shank 34 it pushes this shank along with it, the latter acting as a follower and causing the rack 2O to exert the necessary torce to again overcome the tension of the spring 28 and to allow the escapement mechanism to operate again, by causing the teeth formed upon the shank 34 to mesh with the teeth o't the pinion 2Q in exactly the same manner that thevteeth 33 of the lach 2() have meshed with this same pinion to produce the step-l)y-step movement of the carriage l5. Just as soon as the mentioned teeth i of the shank 34 moves out of mesh with and beyond the teeth ol the pinion 22, and while the pinion is still in mesh with the teeth propel of the rack, the spring 53T relaxes and restores the shank 34 to normal position. so that its inner end again engages the shoulder 230 vl'ormed upon the housing 25. During the relative sliding action ot the rack with respect to the stationary shank 34 produced by the engagement of the dog teeth 35 with the pinion 2Q, the step-by-step movement of the carriage has ceased and the carriage has slipped over to the exact point where the type l() may produce the impres sion ot a digit in the United States tax column ot a telephone bill sheet. The slipping operation is now repeated again automatically by the same mechanism atthe next point where the digit is to be typed in the code symbol column of this bill.

The modilication shown in Figures G and 7 is concerned only with providing a greater number of teeth 35 upon the same rack 20 and in reversing the location of the slot and pins for imparting a rectilineal sliding inotion to the rack with respect to the follower or dog 34; The action of the rack 2() when the dog 34 engages the pinion through its teeth 35 is exactly the same as that which has been described concerning dog shank 34 illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, except that a longer interval of time will elapse before the pinion 22 can clear the teeth of the dog 34 shown in Figure t3. The slot is formed upon the dog 34, the pins which are guided in this slot and held'operably therein being secured directly upon the rack 20, the spring $37 being secured upon the stud 38, which, in this instance, is mounted upon the upper edge ot the rack 20 (where in Figures 3 and 4 the sides are mounted on the side of the rack), the outer end of this s )ring being secured upon a lug 39 forme( upon the dog 34.

The other modification shown in Figures 8 and 9 is concerned with providingr a pivotal movement rather than a sliding movement on the part oi the dog that engages the pinion and that is responsible for ren-dering the step-by-step action of the escapement mechanism ineliective at predetermined points already considered. The action of the paw] or dog in this instance is also the same as has been explained hereinbefore, because it plays in the recess similar to the action of the shank 34 in its recess, against the tension of the sear or leaf spring 44. As soon as the dog 43 engages the inclined edge 48 therack begins to push this pawl in meshing engagement with the pinion 22, so as to rotate the same in step-bystep fashion until this pawl or dog 43 is disengaged from the pinion whereupon the leaf spring 44 is retracted to normal position, carrying with it the dog 43.

From the foregoing description, it is thought that the advantages of the present invention will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art, and that its susceptibility for long service and its tendency to resist derangement will also be appreciated.

It will be noted that the carriage-feed rack is lprovided with a toothed insert confined to a vibratory movement between walls formed in the rack; that the relative length of the toothed insert to the space between these two walls predetermines the extent of a free carriage-movement; that the carriageniovement so effectedl may bea single letterspace distance or a continuous distance of greater extent; that vthe pinion whether in engagement with the rack, `the toothed insert or both. always has a full-toothed engagement therewith; and that the carriage-slip ping movement isk automatically effected without relative separation of the working planes of the rack or the escapement-pinion.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of `the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a power-driven carriage, a carriagefeeding mechanism includingr a carriage-rack engaging a pinion controlled by eseapementdevices for step-bystep letter-space-feeding distances, and means movable within the rack to automatically effect a letter-space movement of the carriage independently of the escapement-devices.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a power-driven carriage, escapementmechanism including a rack and a pinion whereby a stepbystep movement is imparted to said carriage, and means movable on the rack and engageable with said pinion for a full-toothed engagement therewith, whereby the carriage skips automatically during the normal course of writing.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a power-driven carriage, carriagefeeding mechanism therefor, including a pin` ion and a mutilated toothed rack, and means` to partially restore the teethof the rack at the point of mutilation thereof by a movable toothed-insert. f

4. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a power-driven slidable carriage, carriage-feeding means for sliding said carriage step by step letter-space distances including a pinion and a carriagea'a'ck having adriving and a driven relationship, 'and a member moving with said carriage-rack and hav- `ing ai positive toothed engagement with the pinion to automatically cause the carriage to have a sliding relation with respect lto said carriage-feeding means.

i 5. In atype'writing machine, the combination of a power-driven carriage, an escape ment-pinion, a arriage-feed rack to engage with the pinion, having an open toothless space, and a rack-section operative to partially restore the teeth within the toothless riage-feeding movement to have a toothed engagement with the pinion, said feed-rack having a toothless section provided with a slidable toothed insertoperative thereinto automatically leffect aA `column-skipping movement of the carriage when the pinion -releases the carriage-rack and engages the toothed insert. n

7. In a typewriting-machine, the combination of a power-driven carriage, a rack moving with said carriage, escapement carriagefeeding mechanism includinga rack and a `pinion to vimpart to said carriage a normal step-by-step movement, and means carried by said rack and yieldable relative to the rack upon engagement withsaid pinion to allow the rack to slip past said pinion as said carriage moves concurrently therewith.

8. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a power-driven carriage, an escapement mechanism including a ratchet-wheel having a pinion meshing with a rack to control the movement of said carriage in step- Vby-step direc-tion, and means carried by said rack and meshing with said pinion and actuated thereby to yield rectilineally in said rack, thereby converting the movement of said carriage into a slidable movement relatively to said pinion.

9. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a power-driven carriage, means for` feeding the carriage step by step single letter-space distances including av rack and a pinion, and means carried by the rack and automatically operable when the carriage reaches a predetermined position, to effect a carriage-feed movement greater than a letter-space distance and allowing to be normal the plane of the rack to the pinion.

10. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a power-driven carriage-rack, a

pinion permanently mounted with relation to and meshing with said rack, means holding said rack in positivemesh with said pinion, said rack being eut away to provide for a toothless recess therein, and means movably7 mounted within said recess and having teeth meshing with said pinion, whereby said rack is automatically released from the control of said pinion and may slip a distance predetermined by the length of the recess.

11; In a typewriting machine, the combination `of a carriage-feeding mechanism including a rack held in mesh with a pinion, and a member movably mounted within said rack and having teeth arranged in the same plane with the teeth of said rack and meshing, with said pinion, said member upon engagement loit ,itsteeth with said pinion, during the movement of said rack, allowing said rack to move parallelly with itself, thereby releasing said rack from `the control of said pinion.

12. `*In a typewriting machine, the combination of a rack, a stationary pinion meshing rotatingly with said raek and driven thereby, ratchet mechanism allowing said pinion to move in step-by-step 'fashion only, a member carried ,along with said rack, an abutment carried` by said `member and stopped by said pinion, and means allowingr said rack to move relatively to said member upon the latter being stopped by said pinion with its teethfsti-ll `in mesh with said pinion, .said pinion engaging said member, whereby to be ,drivenfthereby in the continuous movement of said rack aliter the latter ber.

413. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a pinion, a rack held in meshing relation with said pinion, said rack beingcut away to provide a recess, a dog of lesser length than said recess mounted snugly within the recess, means for slidably holdin;lr said dog in said recess, teeth vformed upon said dog to align with the teeth ol said rack. and means for normally and yieldiugly holding Said dog in said recess.

14. In a typewriting machine, the combinationfof a ratchet-controlled pinion, a rack movable reetilineally and having: teeth nox'- mally meshingr with said pinion during the traverse of the rack, said rack being; eut away to provide a housing and a slot in continuation of said housing, a dog .snugly fitting said housing and having an integral shank projecting;r into the inner end of said slot and provided with teeth arranged in longitudinal alignment with the teeth of said rack, said rack being,r free oll teeth along that length of the slot travel-sable by raid dog, pins engaging said shank to hold it within said housing, a longitudinally slotted portion in which said pins are slidably and operably held to permit the slotted portion of said rack to move relatively with respect to said shank, a pin on said rack-proper, and

`a retractable spi-imgr having one end secured upon said pin and the other end secured to said shank and yielding against the move- ,ment ofsaid rack relatively to said shank. 

